Rack for facilitating opening of a wardrobe trunk



[A ril 23, 1957 J. GARY RACK FOR FACILITATING OPENING OF A WARDROBETRUNK Filed Jan. 26, 1954 4 UN 6 E o 5 WW 2 J 5 8 W w/ z m 7 .m W Va F wn a 5a F lg. 3

6 0 0 4 5 2 lm. Mu 4 w 6 "2 AHWO United States Patent O F RACK FORFACILITATING OPENING A WARDROBE TRUNK This invention relates to theclass of supports and more particularly to a novel rack for use incombination with a wardrobe trunk whereby the sections of the wardrobetrunk may be more easily opened and closed thereby allowing more readyaccess to the contents thereof.

This invention features a rack which is adapted to be positioned beneaththe various sections of a wardrobe trunk in a manner so that the rack iscontinuously resiliently held on the trunk. Utilized in the presentinvention and forming important elements thereof are coil springs whichare terminally secured to transverse bars forming parts of the wardrobetrunk rack. Means are also provided for enabling the wardrobe trunk rackto be used with various sizes of wardrobe trunks.

Still further objects and features of the invention reside in theprovision of a wardrobe trunk rack that is strong and durable, simple inconstruction and manufacture, capable of being readily attached tovarious shapes, sizes and models of trunks and the like, yet which iseasily attached and detached from the trunk when not in use.

These, together with various ancillary objects and features of theinvention which will become apparent as the following descriptionproceeds, are obtained by this wardrobe trunk rack, the preferredembodiment of which has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings,by way of example only, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which thewardrobe trunk rack is secured to a wardrobe trunk;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view as taken along the planeof line 22 in Figure l; and

Figure 3 is a plan view illustrating the manner in which the wardrobetrunk rack is arranged when the trunk is in a closed position.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings wherein likereference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views,reference numerals 10 and 12 are used to designate the halves of aconventional wardrobe trunk rack which are hingedly secured to eachother so as to permit access to the interior thereof when opened. It iscomparatively dilficult to open and close a wardrobe trunk because ofthe substantial weight thereof and the Wardrobe trunk rack according tothe present invention provides means whereby the weight of the trunk issupported on rollers enabling the ready manipulation of the halves ofthe wardrobe trunk. The Wardrobe trunk rack includes a pair oflongitudinal support members 16 and 18 each of which is formed fromtelescoping adjustable sections as at 20, 22, and 24, 26. The sections20 and 26 are provided with elongated slots 28 and 30 therein throughwhich fasteners 32 and 34 extend, which fasteners provide means forholding the sections of the support members 16 and 18 in an adjustedrelationship. Additionally, as can be seen in Figure 2, the sections 20and 26 have brackets as at 36 attached thereto while other brackets asat 38 are attached to and depend from the sections 22 and 24. The

2,789,828 Patented Apr. 23, 1957 ice brackets 36 and 38 are of angleshape and have downwardly depending flanges having aligned aperturestherein through which headed threaded members 40 extend. Wing nuts as at42 are threadedly engaged on the rod 40 and are provided for lockinglyholding the various sections of the support members 16 and 18 in anadjusted relationship With the flanges 44, 46 and 48, 50 attached to thesections 20, 22, 24 and 26 respectively engaging the verticallyextending portions of the halves 10 and 12 of the wardrobe trunk.Secured to and depending from the various sections 20, 22, 24 and 26 arecasters such as are indicated at 52.

Secured to the sections 20, 22, 24 and 26 are transverse bars 54, 56, 58and 60 which have upwardly extending flanges 62, 64, 66 and 68. Theseflanges are likewise .adapted to engage the vertically extendingportions of the halves of the trunk 10 and 12 and are held in engagementtherewith by a coil spring 70 terminally secured to the bars 56 and 58.The coil spring 70 continuously draws the rack against the side walls ofthe trunk and is continuously maintained under some tension. Of coursewhen the wardrobe trunk is opened from the position as in Figure 3 tothe position as shown in Figure 1 the spring 70 will be tensioned.However, while the spring 70 is strong enough to continuously hold therack in engagement with the halves 10 and 12 of the Wardrobe trunk it isnot strong enough to cause the sections of the trunk to be closed byovercoming the inertia of the sections and the frictional resistanceapplied at the casters 52.

When the wardrobe trunk is in a closed position resilient interen-gagingcoil spring fasteners 72 and 74 will be interengaged by having the loops76 and 78 attached to each intermeshed as can be best seen in Figure 3.Then, both the coil springs 70 and the resilient fasteners 72 and 74will be under tension to hold the rack on the trunk. However, by thesimple means of expanding the springs 70, 72 and 74 the rack may bereadily removed. It is to be noted that the rack may be used fortransporting the wardrobe trunk by merely pushing it along the surfaceof the flooring gaining the mechanical advantage afforded by the casters52.

Since from the foregoing the construction and advantages of thiswardrobe trunk rack are readily apparent, further description isbelieved to be unnecessary.

However, since numerous modifications will readily occur to thoseskilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoing specificationand accompanying drawings, it is not intended to limit the invention tothe precise embodiment shown and described, but all suitablemodifications and equivalents may readily be resorted to.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A wardrobe trunk rack comprising a pair of longitudinal supportmembers adapted to be positioned beneath a wardrobe trunk, a pair oftransverse bars secured to each of said support members normal thereto,resilient means resiliently securing one of each of said pair oftransverse bars to the other thereof, and resilient fasteners detachablysecuring each of the other of said pair of transverse bars to eachother, said support members having casters secured thereto.

2. A wardrobe trunk rack comprising a pair of longitudinal supportmembers adapted to be positioned beneath a wardrobe trunk, a pair oftransverse bars secured to each of said support members normal thereto,resilient means resiliently securing one of each of said pair oftransverse bars to the other thereof, and resilient fasteners detachablysecuring each of the other of said pair of transverse bars to eachother, said support members having casters secured thereto, each of saidsupport members comprising a pair of telescoping adjustable sections,one of each of said sections having an elongated slot therein, andfasteners extending through said slots securing said sections to eachother and means for adjusting the relationship of said sections attachedthereto.

3. A Wardrobe trunk rack comprising a pair of longitudinal supportmembers adapted to be positioned beneath the bottonrwalls of a wardrobetrunk, a pair of transverse bars secured to each of said support membersnormal thereto, resilient means resiliently securing one of each of saidpair of transverse bars to the other thereof, and resilient fastenersdetachably securing each of the other of said pair of transverse bars toeach other, said support members having casters secured thereto, each ofsaid sections and said bars having an upwardly extending flange forengaging the vertically extending portions of a trunk.

4. A wardrobe trunk rack comprising a pair of longitudinal supportmembers adapted to be positioned beneath the bottom Walls of a wardrobetrunk, a pair of transverse bars secured to each of said support membersnormal thereto, resilient means resiliently securing one of each of saidpair of transverse bars to the other thereof, and resilient fastenersdetachably securing each of the other said pair of transverse bars toeach other, said support members having casters secured thereto, each ofsaid sections and said bars having an upwardly extending flange forengaging the vertically extending portions of a trunk, each of saidsupport member comprising a pair of telescoping adjustable sections, oneof each of said sections having an elongated slot therein, and fastenersextending through said slots securing said sections to each other, andmeans foradjusting the relationship of said sections attached thereto.

References" Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS175,259 Selman etral. Mar. 28, 1876 234,336 Schenck Nov. 9, 1880 234,836Rorke Nov. 23, 1880 1,350,963 Fowler Aug. 24, 1920 1,352,234 WhittenSept. 7, 1920 1,549,879 Jeidel Aug. 18, 1925 1,926,134 Beard Sept. 12,1933 2,174,661 Hope et a1 Oct. 3, 1939 2,480,025 Hunter a Aug. 23, 19492,534,367 Perotta et a1. Dec. 19, 1950 2,654,421 vVetf Oct. 6, 1953

